Update on Corporal Punishment Worldwide

[krsna]

 

http://www.endcorporalpunishment.org

 

ICELAND, April 2003: In March of 2003, Iceland's government passed a

new law called the Children's Act which calls for "The total abolition

of corporal punishment of children by making it unlawful in the home."

Article 28 of the new Act states: "It is the parents' obligation to

protect their child against any physical or mental violence and other

degrading or humiliating behavior."

 

UKRAINE AND ROMANIA, June 2004: On January 1, 2005, a new Law on the

Protection and Promotion of the Rights of the Child in Romania will

come into force. The law was originally passed by the Romanian

. on June 15, 2004, and it prohibits all corporal punishment.

Similarly, the Ukraine enacted a new Family Code in January, 2004, that

bans all corporal punishment.

 

CANADA, January 2005: The news release says, "A Joint Statement on

Physical Punishment of Children and Youth has been developed by a

national coalition of organizations in Canada. Based on an extensive

review of research, the Joint Statement provides an overview of the

developmental outcomes associated with the use of corporal punishment:

'The evidence is clear and compelling - physical punishment of children

and youth plays no useful role in their upbringing and poses only risks

to their development. The conclusion is equally compelling - parents

should be strongly encouraged to develop alternative and positive

approaches to discipline.' " Presently the criminal code in Canada

allows parents, teachers and some other careers to use reasonable force

to correct children. However, a judgement of the Supreme Court in

January 2004 strictly limits corporal punishment.

 

SIERRA LEONE AND MALTA, January 2005: Both these countries have

commissions that have recommended that corporal punishment be abandoned

in both schools and the home environments.

[krsna]

 

Name withheld

 

Posted on chakra

 

February 14, 2005

 

THE PROBLEM

 

Most people, including most devotees, seem very confused about what constitutes actual child abuse. Failure to protect the children from sexual predators is the worst form of child abuse, but failure to train them properly is also child abuse. The Bible says, "Spare the rod; spoil the child.", and Srila Prabhupada also prescribed corporal punishment for ISKCON's children. If this instruction is not followed, then the children could suffer, and therefore, not administering corporal punishment could be the real child abuse, not the other way around!

 

I'm not sure what the actual statistics are, but I wouldn't be surprised if most of the world's population still views corporal punishment as an appropriate method of training children to have good character, and therefore to be as successful and productive as possible when they reach adulthood.

 

Last summer, when my brother-in-law came to visit, I asked his opinion about something which relates to the present situation that Western society in general, and ISKCON in particular, finds itself in. Ever since my brother-in-law graduated from college, right up to his retirement, he worked either as a high school teacher, a high school principal, or a grade/middle/high school superintendent, so, I said to him, "If you punish a child by making him or her write something over and over again, then you run the risk of causing the child to develop an aversion to writing in general.", and he agreed with me completely.

 

If you make children do extra homework, then they could develop an aversion to doing homework, and end up doing even less homework in the long run. If you keep them after school, then they could come to regard being in school as something undesirable. If you "ground them", then they could end up spending less time at home in the long run, because "Being at home is a punishment."

 

Even the U.S. military has adopted a policy of "no corporal punishment". If you do something wrong while standing in formation, you might be made to do 50 push-ups, which could cause an aversion to doing exercise! One summer, while undergoing Naval officer training, I received a punishment of having to march in formation carrying an M1 rifle (very heavy), for 2 solid hours in the hot Pensacola, Florida sun on a Saturday afternoon when I normally had time off. This definitely caused me to be more averse to marching than I was previously--not a good thing for a military officer to be averse to! When a military man meets the enemy on the front line, his training might make the difference between whether or not he's crippled for the rest of his life, or even between life and death! Could this "no corporal punishment" policy be actually doing more harm than good?

 

Is this pressure to no longer use corporal punishment the result of the demoniac influence of Kaliyuga--lazy, self-motivated parents, teachers, administrators and leaders who simply want an easy life of sense gratification even at the expense of the children?

 

THE SOLUTION

 

In any case and for whatever reason, corporal punishment is no longer in vogue, and this trend is likely to continue. Therefore, effective non-corporal punishments must be made available to parents and teachers.

 

One such punishment, which has proven to be effective over the years, is to have the child "do nothing". At my childhood grade school, one of my teachers would punish a misbehaving child by making him or her sit on a stool in the corner, facing the corner, with "the dunce cap" on.

 

A few years ago, I came up with another system of "non-corporal punishment". I was put in charge of disciplining a couple of ex-gurukuli teenagers whom I was living with. The system was to give them a liberal weekly monetary "allowance", but to deduct a set amount from the allowance each time that they misbehaved at home or in school. Using a computer program called "Microsoft Excel", I created two charts, one for each of them. Each chart contained days of the week across the top and a list of possible infractions on the left, forming a grid. I kept this chart on the refrigerator, and I placed a check mark on the chart whenever one of the children did something wrong. At the end of each week they were given their allowance minus small deductions for each infraction. The two teenagers soon realized that "It pays to be good." The same sort of system could be used for younger children using food treats instead of money.

 

The bottom line is that the children, instead of growing up to be obnoxious, duplicitous liars, who blame everyone but themselves for their problems, should be trained to have the best possible character so that they can grow up to be the actual "Vaikuntha children" that present day society so desperately needs.

 

[krsna]

 

by Sanjaya das

 

Posted March 7, 2005

 

I am an education professional of fifteen years and have been left speechless by the article"What constitutes child abuse?" I must speak up for those who have no voice in this deeply concerning article -- the children.

 

The author's predisposition to violence and disappointment with, as he puts it, the current 'vogue' for skilled teaching and parenting is alarming, and he makes an assumption that children spared his abuse are destined to emerge as 'obnoxious, duplicitous liars'. Why?

 

He writes, "Srila Prabhupada also prescribed corporal punishment for ISKCON's children." Where did that come from? Letters from Srila Prabhupada to disciples contradict him:

 

To Aniruddha das (10/01/72): "If there is need, you may shake your finger at them, but physical punishment is never allowed." To Svati dasi (20/01/72): "Avoid using physical punishment to train children. Better to use sweet words. If absolutely necessary, show the cane, but do not use it." To Bhanutanaya dasi (18/11/72): "Children should not be beaten at all. If someone cannot manage in that way, he is not fit to be a teacher."

 

From Srla Prabhupada's secretary to Stoka Krsna das (8/10/72): "If the teachers are not qualified to handle the children, they -- not the children -- should be beaten with a stick."

 

With whom is he arguing on this issue?

 

To answer the question, "What actually constitutes child abuse?": how about connecting children with clueless and damaging individuals in the garb of caregivers?

 

I challenge the anonymous author to have the courage to name himself, and I will do all I can to remove him from any unfortunate dependents.

 

 

[krsna]

 

http://news.hinduworld.com/click_frameset.php?

ref_url=%2Findex.php%3F&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.telegraphindia.com%2F%2F105

0219%2Fasp%2Fnation%2Fstory_4396023.asp

 

KOLKATA, INDIA, February 18, 2005: In 2003, acting Chief Justice

Altamas directed the state to enforce a school education department

circular banning corporal punishment and canning in schools. So when

the headmistress of Barisha Vivekananda Balika Vidyalaya acted

inappropriately and cruelly toward students at her school, the Calcutta

High Court took up the issue with the state education department. The

news release explains what 160 students from the school wrote in a

letter, "After prayer, she forced us to stand in the sun for one hour

and also beat up some of us, causing many of us to fall sick. We also

have other complaints against her. Every year, she forcibly collects

huge amounts of money as donations from students. She even fines

students who are absent because of illness. All of us are so scared of

her that nobody dares to complain against her. Now, unable to take it

anymore, we request stern action against our headmistress. We also

request you to transfer her from our school so that we may study in a

better environment." The high court said, "We are in 21st century. This

type of barbaric act should be stopped. Therefore, we direct the state

government to issue a circular to all the schools, private and

government, to prevent any such punishment to students."

[krsna]

 

by Nitaipada Swami

Posted on chakra March 18, 2005

 

In response to "What Constitues Child Abuse" I believe that the prabhu who wrote this article appears to not have the experience of rearing children personally.

 

Having grown up in the "Deep South" in an Old Regular Baptist family, I am very familiar with the bibical tenents of capital punishment. But as so many here who show wisdom in dealing with normal childish behavior, the bibical capital punishment application is seriously misunderstood.

 

No, the Bible does not state "Spare the rod and spoil the child" this statement is found no where in the Bibical scriptures. But what it does say is "He that spareth his rod hateth his son; but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes" (Proverbs 13:24)

 

There are several statements in the Book of Proverbs which use the term "rod" in correlation to punishment, but in the Bibical sense of the word, "rod" does not always mean a stick, it means any method of correction. One need not "beat" their child over every infraction. In Proverbs 22:15, it is written "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him." Does this mean that a child should be beat continually because they are inexperienced in the ways of life? I think not.

 

In Proverbs 29:15 it is stated "The rod and reproof give wisdom, but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame." Why? Because he lacks discipline.

 

Rearing children, both as a parent and as an educator is not a position for lazy people. When one rears children, you have to be continually in the master's seat. One has to be mindful of not only their actions, but also yours. A "rod" is better explained as a shepard's staff (used to herd sheep) This staff is used more to direct, console, give security, protect and love than it is to deal out punishment. When the "rod" is used in this manner, then the child knows that they are loved because they are secure. They behave according to what they have been taught, and also know that if their behavior is not acceptable, the same rod will be used to measure some type of punishment. This is not always a spanking.

 

When I was on active duty Navy, I was stationed with the Marines in Kuwait in 1991. I was able to witness the Bedoin people deal not only with their flocks, but also with their children. I saw this "rod" in action. When a sheep or goat went where it was not supposed to, the shepard gently brought it back to the fold. If the sheep was stuborn, then the shepard used the staff to prod it in to acceptable behavior. When the sheep refused, the shepard used the staff to hold a leg to prevent the sheep from wondering off or running, then he picked up the sheep and returned it to the flock. This was all done in a loving manner. This same rod was used to discipline, but was also used to protect against wild dogs, give security and rescue and stranded sheep. The sheep viewd the rod and the shepard as an icon of love and protection to be followed. The sheep followed the rod, when the shepard carried the rod, the sheep followed, if he put it down, they stopped and grazed. But the rod was always at hand incase of misbehavior or danger.

 

Children are reared in the same manner. If we lovingly handle them as the precious gifts from the lotus feet of the Lord, then we will have no great difficulties. I have five children, all of them are wonderful devotees of the Lord. Very rarely have I had to resort to "capital punishment" with any of them. Patience, peserverence, love and dedication were my tools. Unless they truly went out of their way, they didn't receive a spanking. My oldest daughter has had one spanking in her whole life, because she was playing with matches and caught the kitchen on fire. She was 3-4 at the time, the behavior demanded extreme measures, she got her spanking and the behavior was corrected. Even as a teen we didn't have any trouble with her, she knew right from wrong, and her greatest fear was displeasing us, not that she would receive some punishment. We have taught our children to be in harmony with all around them to the best of their abilities. With the older children, years of patience went into their upbringing, now with the younger children, nothing suprises us.

 

When we use a religious scripture to justify our means, then we teach our children that God is not merciful and loving. This was indeed my own personal case. I was reared with the "spare the rod and spoil the child mentality, don't let your heart grieve for his tears, for in so doing you shall deliver his soul from Hell." It seems that I was beat for everything. In the Mathew Henry commentary, it states that Proverbs 13-24 comes from an Egyptian proverb, "a youths ears are on his back, he only hears when they are being beat." I swore even before I even knew where children came from that I would not rear my own children with this mentality.

 

There are many scriptural methods in dealing with undesireable behavior, both from children and peers. One not need to resort to violence, especially against one that cannot defend themselves. In what consitutes child abuse, yes neglect is one of them, but so is physical, mental, sexual and deprivation. If one truly loves their child, then first off, teach them that you love them unconditionally, that no matter what they have done, your love for them will never diminish. If Sri Krishna can love us unconditionally, then that trait also dwells in each of us.

 

When we exibit this unconditional love, we correct and discipline our children in a loving respectful manner, then our episodes of correction are few and far between. Yes, there is a time for "captial punishment", but that punishment is one that is reserved for the most terrible of offenses, and in my opinion, handled as a family. Whenever we have had to approach that level, Mataji and I discussed openly the punishment, then with the son/daughter involved, this included who, what when, where, why and how questions. This decision was made by both of us, not just one. We left no stone unturned in searching out a viable alternative to the situation. This also ensures that the situation is handled maturely, knowingly, patiently and with great care. There is no room for anger or frustration.

 

Each time we use the "rod" in a proper manner, we instill in them the proper behavior. The greatest "rod" is our own personal example. If we are calm, collected, mature, self-disciplined, then our children will follow likewise. I have councelled many parents over the years, when I hear a parent say their children are not doing correctly, when I question their own personal behavior, the child is only following their example. Remember, the apple don't fall far from the tree. When I hear that a teenager has no taste for chanting their rounds, I usually find that the parent "just doesn't have time to chant". So the child follows your behavior, good or bad. The old adage of "don't do as I do, do as I say" does not work in rearing children.

 

If we daily prove to our children our own devotional service, whether as a parent or educator, then the children are sure to follow. If we are "upright and honest" in our dealings, then our children are not inclined to shoplift, drink or take drugs. We have instilled in their spirits the spirit of the Lord. We have placed them at the lotus feet of the Lord. Proverbs 22:6 states "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it." Training them up requires work on the parents part, not on society. Society is selfish and self centered, this job falls to the parents. As mentioned before, it is our own self-discipline that they exhibit out there in the world, not their peers'.

 

Chastisement of our children is not harsh, but loving every step of the way. The Lord's miricles are to be seen in them everyday. As they grow, as they mature, as they turn into wonderful mature devotees, devout in their faith, and secure in their understanding. When our job is done, and they move on into their own lives, we will continue to see the Lord's miricles as they rear their own children, away from the harsh cruel judgments of misconception and misunderstanding, especially of scripture.

 

Your eternal servant,

Nitaipada Maharaja

 

 

[krsna]

 

by Dhira Nitai das

 

Posted March 29, 2005

 

Dear Devotees,

 

Dandavat pranams. ISKCON Founder -Acarya Srila Prabhupada ki jay!

 

As a Vaishnavas, we should always refer to shastra for an evidence. Manu-samhita, the Law Book of Manu prescribes proper behavior for advanced, civilized human beings like brahmanas. I will now quote a few verses, how a real brahmana should act towards all of his subordinates. These kind of verses are not stressed enough and that is why I have chosen them. They speak for themselves and also explain why there are so many problems in our ISKCON Society.

 

Chapter III

 

55. Women must be honoured and adorned by their fathers, brothers, husbands, and brothers-in-law, who desire (their own) welfare.

 

56. Where women are honoured, there the gods are pleased; but where they are not honoured, no sacred rite yields rewards.

 

57. Where the female relations live in grief, the family soon wholly perishes; but that family where they are not unhappy ever prospers.

 

58. The houses on which female relations, not being duly honoured, pronounce a curse, perish completely, as if destroyed by magic.

 

59. Hence men who seek (their own) welfare, should always honour women on holidays and festivals with (gifts of) ornaments, clothes, and (dainty) food.

 

60. In that family, where the husband is pleased with his wife and the wife with her husband, happiness will assuredly be lasting.

 

Chapter IV

 

177. Let him not be uselessly active with his hands and feet, or with his eyes, nor crooked (in his ways), nor talk idly, nor injure others by deeds or even think of it.

 

180. With his father and his mother, with female relatives, with a brother, with his son and his wife, with his daughter and with his slaves, let him not have quarrels.

 

184. Infants, aged, poor and sick men must be considered as rulers of the middle sphere, the eldest brother as equal to one's father, one's wife and one's son as one's own body,

 

185. One's slaves as one's shadow, one's daughter as the highest object of tenderness; hence if one is offended by (any one of) these, one must bear it without resentment.

 

With Love

Your humble servant

 

Dhira Nitai das

(HH Bhakti Tirtha Swami)